Well, here is the final standings in the B(s)C, I mean BCS:
1. Alabama
2. Texas
3. Cincinnati
4. TCU
5. Florida
6. Boise State
7. Oregon
8. Ohio State
9. Georgia Tech
10. Iowa
11. Virginia Tech
12. LSU
So, if you want to see what a twelve team playoff would like like with my formula from the previous post, then here it is:
Round 1 byes: Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, TCU
Round 1 games:
Game #1: Florida vs. LSU
Game #2: Boise State vs. Virginia Tech
Game #3: Oregon vs. Iowa
Game #4: Ohio State vs. Georgia Tech
Round 2 games:
Game #5: Game #1 winner vs. TCU
Game #6: Game #2 winner vs. Cincinnati
Game #7: Game #3 winner vs. Texas
Game #8: Game #4 winner vs. Alabama
Round 3 games:
Game #9: Game #5 winner vs. Game #8 winner
Game #10: Game #6 winner vs. Game #7 winner
CHAMPIONSHIP:
Game #11: Game #9 winner vs. Game #10 winner
Wow, it's that easy to make a playoff work...maybe the NCAA can figure it out sometime...
Insert here.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The B(s)C strikes again!
Okay, seriously, this needs to be fixed. You have not one, not two, not three, but FIVE, yes FIVE undefeated teams in the NCAA. Guess what? That means three teams will not be playing to win a national championship! This system is beyond flawed and needs to be fixed as soon as possible. How can you tell who deserves to play in the Championship? Since Alabama and Texas started the season ranked higher than the rest, of course they are the easy picks. But, pre-season rankings are another story. TCU looked better in the last month than Texas did, but instead of playing Alabama, they are left with Boise State. That's unfortunate because either team could stick with or beat Florida, Cincinnati, Texas, or Alabama. There is one easy way to figure out who is the best team in football. Do you know how to settle an argument of who is the best team?
A PLAYOFF! What a system?!?! Who would ever thought something so simple would work? For some reason, the FCS can figure it out, but the FBS can't? I thought they were supposed to be the 'smarter ones'? So, Texas is playing Alabama in some sort of big game and whoever wins is going to be names the 'champion'. Don't mind that Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise State all finished the regular season undefeated. Plain and simple, there needs to be a playoff in college football. Why wait? Just change it now! Look, student-athletes (especially high profile players at the D1 level for football) are mostly a joke. Do players actually study, get time off etc.? Why don't you ask Dan Hawkins, coach of the Colorado Buffaloes?
Implement a college football playoff. Start the season one week earlier, play the first round after conference championship week and still give the players two weeks off for there, ah hem, "FINALS". Then pick it up with the last 8 teams to decide on the field who is the REAL champion. But, A-Ro, how do we decide who is playoff worthy? I have the answer my friends:
College Football Playoffs Selection Procedures
PART I: Qualification for Playoffs:
1. The champions of the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and Southeastern conferences will have automatic berths into one of the playoff seeds.
2. The champion of Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Sun Belt Conference or the Western Athletic Conference will earn an automatic berth in the playoffs if either:
3. Notre Dame will have an automatic berth if it is in the top 10 of the final NCAA Playoff Standings.
4. Whatever slots remain open after application of provisions 1 through 3, then at-large teams will be selected to complete the 12 different playoff slots.
5. An at-large team is any NCAA Division One team that meets the following requirements.
If fewer than 12 teams are eligible for selection, then any team can be selected as an at-large team that has won at least nine regular-season games and is among the top 20 teams in the NCAA Playoff Standings subject to the three-team limit noted above and also subject to the following: (1) if any conference has three or more teams in the top 16, then two of those teams must be selected and (2) from the teams ranked 17-20, the playoff can select only a team from a conference that has fewer than two teams in the top 16.
If expansion of the pool to 20 teams does not result in 12 teams eligible for selection, then the pool shall be expanded by blocks of 4 teams until 12 eligible teams are available subject to the three-team limit noted above and also subject to the following: (1) if any conference has two or more teams in the top 16, then two of those teams must be selected and (2) from the teams ranked 17 or lower, the playoff can select only a team from a conference that has fewer than two teams in the top 16.
Relative to the two preceding paragraphs, all teams ranked in the top 16, other than those from conferences which have already had two teams selected, must be included in the playoff selection.
Note: in order to participate in a NCAA Playoff game, a team (a.) must be eligible for post-season play under the rules of the NCAA and, if it not an independent, under the rules of its conference and (b.) must not have imposed sanctions upon itself prohibiting participation in a post-season game for infractions of the rules of the NCAA or the rules of its conference.
PART II: Team-Selection Procedures:
The playoffs will select their participants from two pools: (1) automatic qualifiers, all of which must be selected, and, (2) at-large teams. The following sequence will be used when establishing pairings:
PART III: Tie-Breaking Procedures:
The following steps will be used to resolve any ties in the standings or selection procedures after the computation is carried out to full decimal points:
PART IV: NCAA Playoff Standings:
The Harris Interactive Poll, USA Today Poll, and AP Poll each combine to make up first three parts of the Playoff Standings. Each team will have a ranking from each poll from starting from 1 and going through all teams that receive votes.
The computer rankings will make up the fourth part of the Playoff Standings. Each team will receive a number for each spot ranked in the polls and that number will be divided by four to get the total ranking.
The six computer ranking providers are Anderson & Hester, Richard Billingsley, Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey, Jeff Sagarin and Peter Wolfe. Each computer ranking provider accounts for schedule strength within its formula.
The NCAA Playoff Standings are used for:
The NCAA Playoff Standings will be released eight times each season, including the final Standings on selection Sunday. The National Football Foundation compiles and releases the Standings each week.
Well, if you don't like a Playoff or any kind of system involving the playoffs...then just follow Jim Mora's lead and don't talk about it.
A PLAYOFF! What a system?!?! Who would ever thought something so simple would work? For some reason, the FCS can figure it out, but the FBS can't? I thought they were supposed to be the 'smarter ones'? So, Texas is playing Alabama in some sort of big game and whoever wins is going to be names the 'champion'. Don't mind that Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise State all finished the regular season undefeated. Plain and simple, there needs to be a playoff in college football. Why wait? Just change it now! Look, student-athletes (especially high profile players at the D1 level for football) are mostly a joke. Do players actually study, get time off etc.? Why don't you ask Dan Hawkins, coach of the Colorado Buffaloes?
Implement a college football playoff. Start the season one week earlier, play the first round after conference championship week and still give the players two weeks off for there, ah hem, "FINALS". Then pick it up with the last 8 teams to decide on the field who is the REAL champion. But, A-Ro, how do we decide who is playoff worthy? I have the answer my friends:
College Football Playoffs Selection Procedures
PART I: Qualification for Playoffs:
1. The champions of the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and Southeastern conferences will have automatic berths into one of the playoff seeds.
2. The champion of Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Sun Belt Conference or the Western Athletic Conference will earn an automatic berth in the playoffs if either:
- Such team is ranked in the top 10 of the final NCAA Playoff Standings, or,
- Such team is ranked in the top 14 of the final NCAA Playoff Standings and its ranking in the final NCAA Playoff Standings is higher than that of a champion of a conference that has an annual automatic berth in a playoff spot.
3. Notre Dame will have an automatic berth if it is in the top 10 of the final NCAA Playoff Standings.
4. Whatever slots remain open after application of provisions 1 through 3, then at-large teams will be selected to complete the 12 different playoff slots.
5. An at-large team is any NCAA Division One team that meets the following requirements.
- Has won at least nine regular-season games with three losses or fewer, and
- Is among the top 16 teams in the NCAA Playoff Standings.
- No more than three teams from a conference can be selected, unless team number four has three or less losses with only two of those losses coming from within the conference play.
If fewer than 12 teams are eligible for selection, then any team can be selected as an at-large team that has won at least nine regular-season games and is among the top 20 teams in the NCAA Playoff Standings subject to the three-team limit noted above and also subject to the following: (1) if any conference has three or more teams in the top 16, then two of those teams must be selected and (2) from the teams ranked 17-20, the playoff can select only a team from a conference that has fewer than two teams in the top 16.
If expansion of the pool to 20 teams does not result in 12 teams eligible for selection, then the pool shall be expanded by blocks of 4 teams until 12 eligible teams are available subject to the three-team limit noted above and also subject to the following: (1) if any conference has two or more teams in the top 16, then two of those teams must be selected and (2) from the teams ranked 17 or lower, the playoff can select only a team from a conference that has fewer than two teams in the top 16.
Relative to the two preceding paragraphs, all teams ranked in the top 16, other than those from conferences which have already had two teams selected, must be included in the playoff selection.
Note: in order to participate in a NCAA Playoff game, a team (a.) must be eligible for post-season play under the rules of the NCAA and, if it not an independent, under the rules of its conference and (b.) must not have imposed sanctions upon itself prohibiting participation in a post-season game for infractions of the rules of the NCAA or the rules of its conference.
PART II: Team-Selection Procedures:
The playoffs will select their participants from two pools: (1) automatic qualifiers, all of which must be selected, and, (2) at-large teams. The following sequence will be used when establishing pairings:
- The rankings of the team will be determined by the NCAA Playoff Standings.
- The top four seeds in the final NCAA Playoff Standings will be automatically given a first round bye.
- Seeds five through eight will face seeds nine through twelve in the first round games with the lowest seed facing the highest seed and so on.
PART III: Tie-Breaking Procedures:
The following steps will be used to resolve any ties in the standings or selection procedures after the computation is carried out to full decimal points:
- Look to head-to-head result;
- If the tie is not resolved by No. 1, then won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of two.
- If the tie is not resolved by Nos. 1-2, then strength of victory.
- If the tie is not resolved by Nos. 1-3, then strength of non-conference schedule.
- If the tie is not resolved by Nos. 1-4, then strength of overall schedule.
- If the tie is not resolved by Nos. 1-5, then best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
- If the tie is not resolved by Nos. 1-6, then best net points in all games.
- If the tie is not resolved by Nos. 1-7, then best net touchdowns in all games.
- If the tie is not resolved by Nos. 1-8, then final standings from previous year.
- If the tie is not resolved by Nos. 1-9, then coin toss.
PART IV: NCAA Playoff Standings:
The Harris Interactive Poll, USA Today Poll, and AP Poll each combine to make up first three parts of the Playoff Standings. Each team will have a ranking from each poll from starting from 1 and going through all teams that receive votes.
- · To provide the initial pool of potential panelists for the Harris Poll before the 2005 regular season, each Conference submitted the names of 30 qualified individuals; Harris Interactive randomly selected 10 panelists from among the names submitted by each Conference.
· Notre Dame submitted a list of six qualified individuals, from which Harris randomly selected three. Army and Navy together submitted a list of three qualified individuals from which Harris selected one.
· When a person leaves the panel, the conference that originally nominated the individual nominates three others to take the spot, one of whom is randomly selected.
· The first Harris poll is released on the last Sunday in September each season.
The computer rankings will make up the fourth part of the Playoff Standings. Each team will receive a number for each spot ranked in the polls and that number will be divided by four to get the total ranking.
The six computer ranking providers are Anderson & Hester, Richard Billingsley, Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey, Jeff Sagarin and Peter Wolfe. Each computer ranking provider accounts for schedule strength within its formula.
The NCAA Playoff Standings are used for:
- Determining the rankings of the top twelve teams that would qualify to play in the NCAA playoffs schedule.
- Determining the top four teams to get first round byes in the playoffs.
- Determining any other automatic qualifiers; and,
Establishing the pool of eligible teams for at-large selection.
The NCAA Playoff Standings will be released eight times each season, including the final Standings on selection Sunday. The National Football Foundation compiles and releases the Standings each week.
Well, if you don't like a Playoff or any kind of system involving the playoffs...then just follow Jim Mora's lead and don't talk about it.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Maybe I should write something...
But I like to let the pictures do the talking...
Great, now I just jinxed the Cubs again and will probably watch the Cards come back from a 2-0 deficit....
Great, now I just jinxed the Cubs again and will probably watch the Cards come back from a 2-0 deficit....
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Look at the first half; Predictions for the second
Well, let's take a look at some of those pre-season predictions that yours truly said would happen.
AL Winners: Rays, Twins, Angels, Yankees as WC
Well, If the season ended today, the Angels and Yankees would be in the playoffs. The Rays have struggled a little this season and the Twins are still four back. I still both teams have not played up to their potential and are capable of making a run during the second half. Both have had some pitching problems and when it comes around, they will be tough to beat
AL MVP: Mark Teixiera
Under the radar: Justin Morneau
AL Player to falter: Dustin Pedroia
Both Teixiera and Morneau are MVP canidates and will continue to fight to get the award. Jason Bay is another canidate as is Morneau's teammate, Joe Mauer. This will be a tight race as nobody has really distanced themselves from the others. As for Pedroia, he is having a good year, but it won't compare to last year. He his hitting 20 points lower and only has 4 home runs so far. Again, a very good player, but nowhere near where he was in production from the last year.
AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
AL Cy Yuk: AJ Burnett
If Halladay gets to stay in the American League, it will be a two horse race between him and Zack Grienke for the Cy Young. This could be something like Lincecum and Santana did last year in the NL. Burnett hasn't been bad, but he hasn't been great either...he leads the AL in walks, but has an 8-4 record to go along with an ERA under 4.00. If I had to choose a Cy Yuk, it would be Fausto Carmona, who has been demoted.
Five position players that will breakout:
Adam Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles....umm...Check! All-Star! Absolutely raking!
Kendry Morales, 1B, Los Angeles Angels....he is starting to play everyday and showing he belongs. Has been hitting over .300 since June 1st.
Alexei Ramirez, SS, Chicago White Sox....In the middle of May, he was batting .200. That average is up to .280. Ramirez is really starting to come around, has shown more plate discipline and has the speed and the power. I would say he is on his way!
Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Cleveland Indians....Choo is hitting over .290 with double digits in steals and home runs. He is one of the few bright spots on the roster and looks like he will be in the Indians outfield for years to come.
Alex Gordon, 3B, Kansas City Royals....Injuries have made him worthless this year.
Five pitchers that will breakout:
Joakim Soria, RP, Kansas City Royals....Soria has been dominating has a closer with a brief moment on the DL. You should have heard of him by now
Kevin Slowey, SP, Minnesota Twins....Slowey started off cold and picked it up in May and early June. He is on the DL now, but still has 10 wins and a very solid K:BB ratio
David Price, SP, Tampa Bay Rays....Price finally got the call up and looks like he won't be back down ever again. He has had his ups and downs but you can see why he was a number one pick
Brett Anderson, SP, Oakland A's.... As with all young pitchers, has been good and bad. Remember, he is still only 21 years old...
Rick Porcello, SP, Detroit Tigers...Started off very fast and has cooled off since then. Still has nasty stuff but I would like to see more strikeouts.
NL Winners: Mets, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies as WC
The Mets and Cubs have been devastated by injuries. For the Mets, Delgado, Reyes, Beltran have all been on the DL. The bullpen is much better than previous years, but they need to get healthy quickly if they want to make a run. The Cubs have had two, count them, TWO games with their opening day lineup. If Soriano and Bradley ever start hitting, this will be a very dangerous team. The Phillies just signed Pedro and along with the Dodgers are both trying to pry away Halladay from the Blue Jays. Both of those teams should make the playoffs.
NL MVP: Manny Ramirez
Under the radar: Hanley Ramirez
NL Player to falter: Ryan Ludwick
When you get suspended for 50 games, you aren't winning the MVP. The way Hanley has played the first half puts him in the race. Unfortunately for him, he has Albert Pujols in the way. But, unfortunately for Pujols he has Ryan Ludwick and others hitting behind him with a batting average of .240. Pujols should not be thrown to the rest of the year and will be on Ludwick and others to carry the Cardinals.
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
NL Cy Yuk: Roy Oswalt
Johan started out filthy, but had an ERA over 6.00 in June. He is going to have a tough time to catch either Lincecum or Dan Haren. Oswalt strugged the first two months, but is starting to come around. I don't usually fault guys for being hurt, but Brad Lidge is nowhere close to the form he was last year and would probably get the award at the moment.
Five position players that will breakout:
Andre Ethier, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers....Ethier strugged a little bit with Manny out of the lineup, but has had some huge walk-off hits for the Dodgers. He will be a great player.
Stephen Drew, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks....Drew was injured early in the season, but has been raking since he came off the DL. It looks like he is on his way though.
Elijah Dukes, OF, Washington Nationals....Was given a chance and now is back in the minors.
Justin Upton, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks....An absolute beast in right field with power, speed, and average. He will be a very, very special player.
Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds....Votto has missed a huge portion of the season, but while he has been playing, all has done is hit over .350 with power.
Five pitchers that will breakout:
Ricky Nolasco, SP, Florida Marlins....Sent to the minors, but has been dominant since he has been back.
Chris Volsted, SP, Florida Marlins....Up and down just like the other young pitchers.
Jonathan Sanchez, SP, San Francisco Giants....Also sent to the minors, came back and threw a no-hitter. The stuff is there, can he keep it together?
Sean Marshall, SP, Chicago Cubs....Sent to the bullpen since the Cubs needed a lefty out there. Been a great reliever, might get chance to start in second half.
Yovani Gallardo, SP Milwaukee Brewers....He has been filthy and carried the Brewers pitching staff.
Second half predictions:
AL East: Red Sox. They have the Yankees number this year and have enough pieces to pick up whatever they may need at the deadline.
AL Central: Twins. I think the pitching will come around and they can catch the Tigers and the White sox.
AL West: Angels. The Mariners and especially the Rangers will make things much more interesting than they were last year
AL Wild Card: Rays. I think they can hold off the Yankees...especially with the lack of pitching the Yankees have.
AL MVP: Justin Morneau. Expect a big second half from him.
AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay if he stays, Zack Grienke if he doesn't.
NL East: Phillies. The Mets aren't healthy, the Braves & Marlins both have issues. Phillies also could make a move to get Halladay
NL Central: Brewers. If the pitching holds up, they will make the playoffs easily holding off the Cubs and Cardinals.
NL West: Dodgers. With Manny fully back, they will run away with the division. Pitching and hitting is already top notch.
NL Wild Card: Cubs. If this team gets healthy and starts to hit, watch out. The pitching has been there all season, just need some timely hits.
NL MVP: Albert Pujols. Only because of his first half. He shouldn't get pitched too the rest of the year...but he still will for some odd reason. GIVE HIM THE BONDS TREATMENT!
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum. Any questions?
Playoffs:
AL Division: Red Sox over Twins, Angels over Rays
NL Division: Dodgers over Cubs, Phillies over Brewers
AL Championship: Angels over Red Sox
NL Championship: Dodgers over Phillies
World Series: Dodgers over Angels in 6.
AL Winners: Rays, Twins, Angels, Yankees as WC
Well, If the season ended today, the Angels and Yankees would be in the playoffs. The Rays have struggled a little this season and the Twins are still four back. I still both teams have not played up to their potential and are capable of making a run during the second half. Both have had some pitching problems and when it comes around, they will be tough to beat
AL MVP: Mark Teixiera
Under the radar: Justin Morneau
AL Player to falter: Dustin Pedroia
Both Teixiera and Morneau are MVP canidates and will continue to fight to get the award. Jason Bay is another canidate as is Morneau's teammate, Joe Mauer. This will be a tight race as nobody has really distanced themselves from the others. As for Pedroia, he is having a good year, but it won't compare to last year. He his hitting 20 points lower and only has 4 home runs so far. Again, a very good player, but nowhere near where he was in production from the last year.
AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
AL Cy Yuk: AJ Burnett
If Halladay gets to stay in the American League, it will be a two horse race between him and Zack Grienke for the Cy Young. This could be something like Lincecum and Santana did last year in the NL. Burnett hasn't been bad, but he hasn't been great either...he leads the AL in walks, but has an 8-4 record to go along with an ERA under 4.00. If I had to choose a Cy Yuk, it would be Fausto Carmona, who has been demoted.
Five position players that will breakout:
Adam Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles....umm...Check! All-Star! Absolutely raking!
Kendry Morales, 1B, Los Angeles Angels....he is starting to play everyday and showing he belongs. Has been hitting over .300 since June 1st.
Alexei Ramirez, SS, Chicago White Sox....In the middle of May, he was batting .200. That average is up to .280. Ramirez is really starting to come around, has shown more plate discipline and has the speed and the power. I would say he is on his way!
Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Cleveland Indians....Choo is hitting over .290 with double digits in steals and home runs. He is one of the few bright spots on the roster and looks like he will be in the Indians outfield for years to come.
Alex Gordon, 3B, Kansas City Royals....Injuries have made him worthless this year.
Five pitchers that will breakout:
Joakim Soria, RP, Kansas City Royals....Soria has been dominating has a closer with a brief moment on the DL. You should have heard of him by now
Kevin Slowey, SP, Minnesota Twins....Slowey started off cold and picked it up in May and early June. He is on the DL now, but still has 10 wins and a very solid K:BB ratio
David Price, SP, Tampa Bay Rays....Price finally got the call up and looks like he won't be back down ever again. He has had his ups and downs but you can see why he was a number one pick
Brett Anderson, SP, Oakland A's.... As with all young pitchers, has been good and bad. Remember, he is still only 21 years old...
Rick Porcello, SP, Detroit Tigers...Started off very fast and has cooled off since then. Still has nasty stuff but I would like to see more strikeouts.
NL Winners: Mets, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies as WC
The Mets and Cubs have been devastated by injuries. For the Mets, Delgado, Reyes, Beltran have all been on the DL. The bullpen is much better than previous years, but they need to get healthy quickly if they want to make a run. The Cubs have had two, count them, TWO games with their opening day lineup. If Soriano and Bradley ever start hitting, this will be a very dangerous team. The Phillies just signed Pedro and along with the Dodgers are both trying to pry away Halladay from the Blue Jays. Both of those teams should make the playoffs.
NL MVP: Manny Ramirez
Under the radar: Hanley Ramirez
NL Player to falter: Ryan Ludwick
When you get suspended for 50 games, you aren't winning the MVP. The way Hanley has played the first half puts him in the race. Unfortunately for him, he has Albert Pujols in the way. But, unfortunately for Pujols he has Ryan Ludwick and others hitting behind him with a batting average of .240. Pujols should not be thrown to the rest of the year and will be on Ludwick and others to carry the Cardinals.
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
NL Cy Yuk: Roy Oswalt
Johan started out filthy, but had an ERA over 6.00 in June. He is going to have a tough time to catch either Lincecum or Dan Haren. Oswalt strugged the first two months, but is starting to come around. I don't usually fault guys for being hurt, but Brad Lidge is nowhere close to the form he was last year and would probably get the award at the moment.
Five position players that will breakout:
Andre Ethier, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers....Ethier strugged a little bit with Manny out of the lineup, but has had some huge walk-off hits for the Dodgers. He will be a great player.
Stephen Drew, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks....Drew was injured early in the season, but has been raking since he came off the DL. It looks like he is on his way though.
Elijah Dukes, OF, Washington Nationals....Was given a chance and now is back in the minors.
Justin Upton, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks....An absolute beast in right field with power, speed, and average. He will be a very, very special player.
Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds....Votto has missed a huge portion of the season, but while he has been playing, all has done is hit over .350 with power.
Five pitchers that will breakout:
Ricky Nolasco, SP, Florida Marlins....Sent to the minors, but has been dominant since he has been back.
Chris Volsted, SP, Florida Marlins....Up and down just like the other young pitchers.
Jonathan Sanchez, SP, San Francisco Giants....Also sent to the minors, came back and threw a no-hitter. The stuff is there, can he keep it together?
Sean Marshall, SP, Chicago Cubs....Sent to the bullpen since the Cubs needed a lefty out there. Been a great reliever, might get chance to start in second half.
Yovani Gallardo, SP Milwaukee Brewers....He has been filthy and carried the Brewers pitching staff.
Second half predictions:
AL East: Red Sox. They have the Yankees number this year and have enough pieces to pick up whatever they may need at the deadline.
AL Central: Twins. I think the pitching will come around and they can catch the Tigers and the White sox.
AL West: Angels. The Mariners and especially the Rangers will make things much more interesting than they were last year
AL Wild Card: Rays. I think they can hold off the Yankees...especially with the lack of pitching the Yankees have.
AL MVP: Justin Morneau. Expect a big second half from him.
AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay if he stays, Zack Grienke if he doesn't.
NL East: Phillies. The Mets aren't healthy, the Braves & Marlins both have issues. Phillies also could make a move to get Halladay
NL Central: Brewers. If the pitching holds up, they will make the playoffs easily holding off the Cubs and Cardinals.
NL West: Dodgers. With Manny fully back, they will run away with the division. Pitching and hitting is already top notch.
NL Wild Card: Cubs. If this team gets healthy and starts to hit, watch out. The pitching has been there all season, just need some timely hits.
NL MVP: Albert Pujols. Only because of his first half. He shouldn't get pitched too the rest of the year...but he still will for some odd reason. GIVE HIM THE BONDS TREATMENT!
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum. Any questions?
Playoffs:
AL Division: Red Sox over Twins, Angels over Rays
NL Division: Dodgers over Cubs, Phillies over Brewers
AL Championship: Angels over Red Sox
NL Championship: Dodgers over Phillies
World Series: Dodgers over Angels in 6.
Friday, June 12, 2009
And then there was ONE
One game. One goal. One dream. One more chance. Winner take all. Game SEVEN. Are you ready?
The National Hockey League, where we are finally off of life support happens! The NHL could not have scripted a better ending....except maybe an overtime to go with the game? The Detroit Red Wings trying to repeat as champions and bring some hope and joy to the city (like Michigan State failed to do) against the Pittsburgh Penguins and superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Gary Bettman has to be the happiest he has been in a LONG time.
Each team or city can claim their own fame with a victory tonight:
Detroit: Where we still have the Red Wings to cherish.
Pittsburgh: The city of champions (plus the Pirates).
If you want a recap from the previous six games, check out this article by Scott Burnside by clicking here! Or if you would rather get a game seven preview, check out this one.
This is truly what hockey needs. Two great teams going at each for sixty minutes (maybe more) to be crowned a champion. If the Red Wings play like they have at home all season and the playoffs, it should be a breeze. They need to come out early and push the Penguins around and establish their dominance on the home ice. The Penguins need to get a big game out of Crosby or Malkin or both. Neither have scored a point during the past two games. The biggest x-factor in this game will be Marc Andre-Fleury. If the Penguins goalie can fight off the Red Wings attack on the net, the Penguins might come out on top, if not, it will be another championship in Detroit.
The NHL: Where game SEVEN in the Finals happens. (Penguins 3-2)
The National Hockey League, where we are finally off of life support happens! The NHL could not have scripted a better ending....except maybe an overtime to go with the game? The Detroit Red Wings trying to repeat as champions and bring some hope and joy to the city (like Michigan State failed to do) against the Pittsburgh Penguins and superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Gary Bettman has to be the happiest he has been in a LONG time.
Each team or city can claim their own fame with a victory tonight:
Detroit: Where we still have the Red Wings to cherish.
Pittsburgh: The city of champions (plus the Pirates).
If you want a recap from the previous six games, check out this article by Scott Burnside by clicking here! Or if you would rather get a game seven preview, check out this one.
This is truly what hockey needs. Two great teams going at each for sixty minutes (maybe more) to be crowned a champion. If the Red Wings play like they have at home all season and the playoffs, it should be a breeze. They need to come out early and push the Penguins around and establish their dominance on the home ice. The Penguins need to get a big game out of Crosby or Malkin or both. Neither have scored a point during the past two games. The biggest x-factor in this game will be Marc Andre-Fleury. If the Penguins goalie can fight off the Red Wings attack on the net, the Penguins might come out on top, if not, it will be another championship in Detroit.
The NHL: Where game SEVEN in the Finals happens. (Penguins 3-2)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Now, THAT is a ring!
Just stare at them. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I guess that's what happens when you become World Champions for a SIXTH time! Anyways, if you want the full story about the rings go here: http://news.steelers.com/article/105667/ or if you want to read the story from the Post Gazette, visit: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09161/976217-66.stm
Friday, June 5, 2009
5 things that will fix the Cubs
Alrighty, this .500 record garbage is making me sick. This team should be winning more than it is losing. With that in mind, here are five things the Cubs can do to take control of the NL Central and get to the playoffs again.
- The easiest and most obvious is get healthy. When Rich Harden comes back, it will instantly upgrade our rotation and our bullpen. With him, Z, Dempster, Lilly and Wells, our bullpen can now go in order of 9th inning backwards: Gregg, Marmol, Guzman, Heilman, Marshall, and Ascanio. Sorry, the Patton experiment should be over. That should solve some of our bullpen issues.
- If something still fails in that bullpen, go and find a left handed reliever. There are two lefties out there that might be available for the right price. Jeremy Affeldt from the Giants and Dan Meyer from the Marlins. The Giants are looking for another batter and when Miles and Ramirez come back, we would have some extra infielders at our exposal. The Marlins always are looking for pitching as we have found out with many trades.
- In my mind, I still think we do not have an everyday second baseman. Look, Mike Fontenot is a great player. I just don't think you can play him a full week and especially against lefties. He can fill it at third and second when the Cubs are facing some tough righties. Rumor is Dan Uggla might be available and it would get the Cubs another right power bat. Another option might be Felipe Lopez from Arizona with the D'Backs falling mightily this year.
- TRADE for Jake Peavy. Look, Peavy will give up his no trade clause for the right team. That right team is the Chicago Cubs! Put together a package that would be acceptable for the Padres and snatch him up for the next four years!
- Don't do anything. What? Confused yet? Okay, when and if the Cubs stay healthy, we have already seen what their pitching will look like.
- OF's -- Soriano, Kosuke, Bradley (Johnson & Hoffpauir)
- IF's -- Ramirez, Theriot, Fontenot, Lee , Soto (Blanco, Scales, Freel, Hill)
This is a lineup if used properly can win games. Sori, Theriot, Fukudome, Ramirez, Bradley, D-Lee, Soto, Fontentot...or if Kosuke struggles like he did last year, switch him with D-Lee and go from there.
Don't panic Cubs fans. There is still plenty of time left in this season to win some more games!!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Lakers vs. Magic, who ya got?
THE NBA: "Where our dream match-up failed happens". Okay, so there is no Kobe vs. LeBron in this years NBA final like 95% of the watching public and David Stern wanted to happen. But, we still have a couple of intriguing things between the Los Angeles Lakers and the surprising Orlando Magic. Okay, maybe the Magic are just "happy to be here", but maybe not. If they play like they have since game 5 of the Boston series, Orlando will wrap up this series easily.
Here are the biggest storylines heading into the series.
Here are the biggest storylines heading into the series.
- Can Kobe Bryant win a title without Shaq? Kobe is 3-2 in the NBA Finals. The three wins came when Shaq was the best player on the team and that is indisputable. The two losses, Kobe was the best player and what did he do in those two series? In 2004 vs. Detroit, he averaged some great numbers (24-4-3, along with a 38% FG and 17% 3Pt) and last year against Boston he came away with (26-5-5, 40.5%, 32% and 4.7 TO's per game). Kobe needs a title without Shaq to defend his legacy and he is running out of time.
- Can Dwight Howard become the next great big man? Look, Dwight Howard is Superman, but is he more than that? All season, critics asked if he could be more mean and not have so much fun. If he plays like he did against the Cavs, he could be on his way to getting more than his share of NBA titles.
- Can Orlando continue to shoot the way they have the last 10 games and can L.A. defend them? Orlando has been shooting at a 45% clip from beyond the arc. Absolutely ridiculous and if it continues they will win this series. The Lakers have the players to match up with Orlando. Odom can check Lewis, Ariza checks Turkoglu, and Kobe can defend Alston. The Magic will no longer have 6'3 and 6'1 guards on them like they did in the Cleveland series.
- Can Jameer Nelson be effective? If Nelson plays and plays well, he will be the X-factor. Nobody on the Lakers can defend Nelson's quickness and getting him back is going to be a HUGE difference for Orlando.
- Can somebody else step up for Los Angeles? Andrew Bynum, this is for you! Derek Fisher? How about anybody coming off the bench? The Lakers would like you to play now.
- Will the referees continue to make dumb calls? Does this question really need to be asked?
- Last and most important...it is the individual match-up that we have been waiting for since 2006. We FINALLY get to see....J.J. REDICK vs. ADAM MORRISON with a championship on the line!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, who you got?
I have Lakers in six.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tony Romo misses cut
In case you missed it, because you probably did, Tony Romo attempted to qualify for the 2009 U.S. Open. Romo started off with a fine round, shooting even on the front nine in the rain. However, the back nine was not as kind to him. He had a back nine score of 44, including five bogies and one triple-bogey. So, what can we say about Romo's golf game compared to his football career. Let's take a look:
2006: Romo started 11 games...first six games, he was 5-1, the last five he was 1-4 including a playoff loss
2007: Romo started 17 games...first thirteeen games, he was 12-1, the last four, he was 1-3 with another playoff loss
2008: Romo started 13 games...first nine games, he was 7-2, the last four, 1-3 again and the Cowboys missed the playoffs
I see some sort of correlation between his golf game and his football game...Tony Romo starts off hot and fades down the stretch...The stats don't lie!!!
2006: Romo started 11 games...first six games, he was 5-1, the last five he was 1-4 including a playoff loss
2007: Romo started 17 games...first thirteeen games, he was 12-1, the last four, he was 1-3 with another playoff loss
2008: Romo started 13 games...first nine games, he was 7-2, the last four, 1-3 again and the Cowboys missed the playoffs
I see some sort of correlation between his golf game and his football game...Tony Romo starts off hot and fades down the stretch...The stats don't lie!!!
Monday, May 4, 2009
It's a King's World and you are a witness.
FINALLY! The NBA got one right! LeBron James has been chosen by the NBA as the league's MVP.
Save the arguments. You absolutely can't tell me any legitimate reason why King James should NOT have been the MVP. So, please don't try. But, if you would like to argue, here are the justifications.
Stats:
LeBron: 28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.2 apg, 48.9 FG%, 34.4 3Pt%, 78.0 FT%, 1.7 spg, 1.1 bpg, 2.9 topg
DWade: 30.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 7.5 apg, 49.1 FG%, 31.7 3Pt%, 76.5 FT%, 2.2 spg, 1.3 bpg, 3.4 topg
Kobe: 26.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.9 apg, 46.7 FG%, 35.1 3Pt%, 85.6 FT%, 1.5 spg, 0.4 bpg, 2.6 topg
What do the stats tell us? First of all, any MVP consideration based strictly off of statistics automatically can take Kobe off of the list. Kobe was outplayed (based on stats) by both LeBron and Wade. Here is another little nugget. DWade may have led the league in PPG, but he also led the league in shot attempts as well. And how about this. LeBron led his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. ALL FIVE CATEGORIES! Only three players have done this before: KG, Pippen, and Dave Cowens.
Team Improvement:
Cavs in 07-08: 45-37
Cavs in 08-09: 66-16
Cavs improve: 21 games
Heat in 07-08: 15-67
Heat in 08-09: 43-39
Heat improve: 28 games
Lakers in 07-08: 57-25
Lakers in 08-09: 65-17
Lakers improve: 12 games
As you can see the Heat improved the most of any of the three teams. However, they traded Shaq during mid-season and Wade only played in 51 games. Can you say tanked season? They changed more pieces between seasons than either the Cavs or Lakers and you knew they were tanking down the stretch to get either Rose or Beasley. The Lakers had Pau Gasol for an entire season this year and were coming off a finals loss. Do you really think the Cavs won 21 more games than last year because of Mo Williams? The Cavs and the Lakers finished with the league's best records while the Heat ended up getting the number five seed in the Eastern Conference. As many people say, "The MVP comes from the best player on the best team". So, that would eliminate DWade from their votes.
Let's put something else into perspective here. The Cavs had the second best home record in NBA history. They could have tied it, but rested their starters in the finale. The team that has the record is the 85-86 Boston Celtics, who had four hall of fame players on their team! The Cavs? Mo Williams was an all-star replacement....and that is about it!
LeBron CLEARLY was the best player in the league this year and he is only 24 years old and this is his sixth year in the league. You want something else to think about? Remember LeBron's stats from this year? Well, how about Kobe's stats from his sixth NBA year?
LeBron: 28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.2 apg, 48.9 FG%, 34.4 3Pt%, 78.0 FT%, 1.7 spg, 1.1 bpg, 2.9 topg
Kobe: 25.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.5 apg, 46.9 FG%, 25.0% 3Pt%, 82.9 FT%, 1.5 spg, 0.4 bpg, 2.8 topg
And even though I shouldn't do it...when somebody else was 24 years old, they had:
35.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.9 apg, 53.5 FG%, 13.2 3Pt%, 84.1 FT%, 3.2 spg, 1.6 bpg, 3.1 topg
You will notice the points per game. The NBA has changed in the past 20 years. Scoring used to be way up and this guy played on one of the LEAST scoring teams in the league (they averaged 105 points per game...which was 19th out of 23 teams). That guy I am referring to is someone you may heard of. His name is Michael Jordan.
Look, there is no way I am comparing LeBron to MJ. It's not possible. Different leagues. I say to compare Jordan to anyone else is a joke. But that was just to put LeBron up against somebody else. However, I will compare LeBron to Kobe. And what do Kobe lovers always say? Look at the rings. Well, I say look at what Kobe did during those years. The last year the Lakers won the title was the 01-02 season. That was Kobe's sixth season. Kobe supposedly has been the best player since that time. And how many NBA titles has he had in that time? As many as LeBron does.
In his sixth year, LeBron has proven that he is the top player in the NBA. There are no questions about it. The scary part is that his ceiling has NOT been reached yet! If you think he is great now, just wait about four more years to see what he is like.
And if you still doubt him now, come back and see me in June after LeBron holds up the NBA trophy for the first time....
Save the arguments. You absolutely can't tell me any legitimate reason why King James should NOT have been the MVP. So, please don't try. But, if you would like to argue, here are the justifications.
Stats:
LeBron: 28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.2 apg, 48.9 FG%, 34.4 3Pt%, 78.0 FT%, 1.7 spg, 1.1 bpg, 2.9 topg
DWade: 30.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 7.5 apg, 49.1 FG%, 31.7 3Pt%, 76.5 FT%, 2.2 spg, 1.3 bpg, 3.4 topg
Kobe: 26.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.9 apg, 46.7 FG%, 35.1 3Pt%, 85.6 FT%, 1.5 spg, 0.4 bpg, 2.6 topg
What do the stats tell us? First of all, any MVP consideration based strictly off of statistics automatically can take Kobe off of the list. Kobe was outplayed (based on stats) by both LeBron and Wade. Here is another little nugget. DWade may have led the league in PPG, but he also led the league in shot attempts as well. And how about this. LeBron led his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. ALL FIVE CATEGORIES! Only three players have done this before: KG, Pippen, and Dave Cowens.
Team Improvement:
Cavs in 07-08: 45-37
Cavs in 08-09: 66-16
Cavs improve: 21 games
Heat in 07-08: 15-67
Heat in 08-09: 43-39
Heat improve: 28 games
Lakers in 07-08: 57-25
Lakers in 08-09: 65-17
Lakers improve: 12 games
As you can see the Heat improved the most of any of the three teams. However, they traded Shaq during mid-season and Wade only played in 51 games. Can you say tanked season? They changed more pieces between seasons than either the Cavs or Lakers and you knew they were tanking down the stretch to get either Rose or Beasley. The Lakers had Pau Gasol for an entire season this year and were coming off a finals loss. Do you really think the Cavs won 21 more games than last year because of Mo Williams? The Cavs and the Lakers finished with the league's best records while the Heat ended up getting the number five seed in the Eastern Conference. As many people say, "The MVP comes from the best player on the best team". So, that would eliminate DWade from their votes.
Let's put something else into perspective here. The Cavs had the second best home record in NBA history. They could have tied it, but rested their starters in the finale. The team that has the record is the 85-86 Boston Celtics, who had four hall of fame players on their team! The Cavs? Mo Williams was an all-star replacement....and that is about it!
LeBron CLEARLY was the best player in the league this year and he is only 24 years old and this is his sixth year in the league. You want something else to think about? Remember LeBron's stats from this year? Well, how about Kobe's stats from his sixth NBA year?
LeBron: 28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.2 apg, 48.9 FG%, 34.4 3Pt%, 78.0 FT%, 1.7 spg, 1.1 bpg, 2.9 topg
Kobe: 25.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.5 apg, 46.9 FG%, 25.0% 3Pt%, 82.9 FT%, 1.5 spg, 0.4 bpg, 2.8 topg
And even though I shouldn't do it...when somebody else was 24 years old, they had:
35.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.9 apg, 53.5 FG%, 13.2 3Pt%, 84.1 FT%, 3.2 spg, 1.6 bpg, 3.1 topg
You will notice the points per game. The NBA has changed in the past 20 years. Scoring used to be way up and this guy played on one of the LEAST scoring teams in the league (they averaged 105 points per game...which was 19th out of 23 teams). That guy I am referring to is someone you may heard of. His name is Michael Jordan.
Look, there is no way I am comparing LeBron to MJ. It's not possible. Different leagues. I say to compare Jordan to anyone else is a joke. But that was just to put LeBron up against somebody else. However, I will compare LeBron to Kobe. And what do Kobe lovers always say? Look at the rings. Well, I say look at what Kobe did during those years. The last year the Lakers won the title was the 01-02 season. That was Kobe's sixth season. Kobe supposedly has been the best player since that time. And how many NBA titles has he had in that time? As many as LeBron does.
In his sixth year, LeBron has proven that he is the top player in the NBA. There are no questions about it. The scary part is that his ceiling has NOT been reached yet! If you think he is great now, just wait about four more years to see what he is like.
And if you still doubt him now, come back and see me in June after LeBron holds up the NBA trophy for the first time....
Friday, April 24, 2009
The day before the draft...
Twas the day before the draft; when all across the land
Everyone seemed happy; except for booing Jets fans
The draft boards were hung in war rooms with care
Teams hoping their number one pick would still be there
The players wrestled with thoughts of their new threads
While visions of large amounts of money danced in their heads
And owners were thinking of how to make a rookie salary cap
Al Davis had just started to awaken from his long winter nap
When out of the Lions' room there arose such a clatter
It seemed they had just signed quarterback Matthew Stafford
Away to the televisions we ran with a laugh
Knowing Detroit had finally started the draft
The lights were turned up so we could see Kiper glow
While he mocked McShay about how his picks blow
When, what to our wondering eyes should appear
The NFL Countdown crew was finally here
With a giddy little host, so lively and quick
Berman was too anxious for the Rams to make the next pick
More players on the stage with jerseys they came
Roger Goodell mentioned them all by the right name
Now Smith!, now Curry!, now Crabtree and Jackson!
On Sanchez, on Raji!, on Orakpo and Maclin!
To the top of the draft! to the top of them all!
Be lucky your not one whose draft stock will fall!
Coaches kept to themselves but you could see a little sly
As the player they wanted kept getting passed by
They would grab the phone as fast as they could
Knowing that their draft was going to turn out good
And then, in a spark, we heard on the speakers
That Kiper thought two teams had just grabbed sleepers
The Vikings were almost out of time and started running around
Wondering if they would get passed again in the first round
Over in the green room there was a player still there
Knowing this must how Quinn felt the time he was here
Then a loud noise came popping in from the back
It looked like the Patriots were putting some videos in their packs
Another figure standing with his eyes twinkling, looking so merry
Coming from the new stadium and the crowd yelled JERRY!
He cracked a smile but we could see it was just a show
He couldn't have been more happier about getting rid of T.O.
While we were waiting for the next big move to be made
Drew Rosenhaus looked on waiting for his clients to be paid
Out came the last player from the green room with a big round belly
When he ran with his shirt off it looked like a blob of jelly
He was chubby and plump as if he had not trained
Even though he hired an agent before his last college game
Roger tried to finish the day but started to feel a little sick
Knowing he would soon have to deal with the problem known as Michael Vick
There were some who will be drafted that will go straight to work
They will fill their teams with joy knowing they aren't jerks
And those who pass on Curry and Crabtree will be out of their mind
They are the best players that will be drafted in two thousand and nine
Soon camps will come and head coaches finally get to blow their whistle
It will only be a matter of time before we see the first dismissal
As Mr. Irrelevant was chosen, the fans started to reflect on the past
The last words were spoken, THIS CONCLUDES THE 2009 DRAFT!
Everyone seemed happy; except for booing Jets fans
The draft boards were hung in war rooms with care
Teams hoping their number one pick would still be there
The players wrestled with thoughts of their new threads
While visions of large amounts of money danced in their heads
And owners were thinking of how to make a rookie salary cap
Al Davis had just started to awaken from his long winter nap
When out of the Lions' room there arose such a clatter
It seemed they had just signed quarterback Matthew Stafford
Away to the televisions we ran with a laugh
Knowing Detroit had finally started the draft
The lights were turned up so we could see Kiper glow
While he mocked McShay about how his picks blow
When, what to our wondering eyes should appear
The NFL Countdown crew was finally here
With a giddy little host, so lively and quick
Berman was too anxious for the Rams to make the next pick
More players on the stage with jerseys they came
Roger Goodell mentioned them all by the right name
Now Smith!, now Curry!, now Crabtree and Jackson!
On Sanchez, on Raji!, on Orakpo and Maclin!
To the top of the draft! to the top of them all!
Be lucky your not one whose draft stock will fall!
Coaches kept to themselves but you could see a little sly
As the player they wanted kept getting passed by
They would grab the phone as fast as they could
Knowing that their draft was going to turn out good
And then, in a spark, we heard on the speakers
That Kiper thought two teams had just grabbed sleepers
The Vikings were almost out of time and started running around
Wondering if they would get passed again in the first round
Over in the green room there was a player still there
Knowing this must how Quinn felt the time he was here
Then a loud noise came popping in from the back
It looked like the Patriots were putting some videos in their packs
Another figure standing with his eyes twinkling, looking so merry
Coming from the new stadium and the crowd yelled JERRY!
He cracked a smile but we could see it was just a show
He couldn't have been more happier about getting rid of T.O.
While we were waiting for the next big move to be made
Drew Rosenhaus looked on waiting for his clients to be paid
Out came the last player from the green room with a big round belly
When he ran with his shirt off it looked like a blob of jelly
He was chubby and plump as if he had not trained
Even though he hired an agent before his last college game
Roger tried to finish the day but started to feel a little sick
Knowing he would soon have to deal with the problem known as Michael Vick
There were some who will be drafted that will go straight to work
They will fill their teams with joy knowing they aren't jerks
And those who pass on Curry and Crabtree will be out of their mind
They are the best players that will be drafted in two thousand and nine
Soon camps will come and head coaches finally get to blow their whistle
It will only be a matter of time before we see the first dismissal
As Mr. Irrelevant was chosen, the fans started to reflect on the past
The last words were spoken, THIS CONCLUDES THE 2009 DRAFT!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
What's this? MOCK DRAFT 5.0
It has been ages since my last update...I think it is finally time to step up and do one more first round mock before my final copy comes out! Here we go...again...
1. Detroit Lions -- Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
--I've stayed with this pick throughout everything. The Lions should make sure this is signed, sealed and delivered before Saturday.
2. St. Louis Rams -- Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
--The Rams clearly need help on the line and Smith has become the top offensive lineman on the board. This should be an easy selection for St. Louis.
3. Kansas City Chiefs -- Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
--Remember way back when I said the Chiefs would get Cassel? Well, go look...it is there somewhere. This spot now is where Curry should reside. The Chiefs have slowly improved their team over the winter and this should help them to keep improving!
4. Seattle Seahawks -- Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
--Another one that I have said should have happened from the beginning. Crabtree is going to be a flat out stud in this league and if the Seahawks pass up on him, they will regret it!
5. Cleveland Browns -- Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas
--The biggest need for the Browns is to find a rush end/outside linebacker. Orakpo would fit the bill perfectly and would be the start to trying to improve that defense.
6. Cincinnati Bengals -- Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
--The Bengals need people to protect for Carson Palmer. They don't have the smartest scouting staff in the world and it wouldn't surprise me if they grabbed big Andre.
7. Oakland Raiders -- Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
--Oakland needs playmakers badly. Jeremy Maclin would be the best option here. He has great speed and would be an instant deep threat for Al Davis and the Raiders.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars -- B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
--In some shape or form, I see the Jaguars trading out of this pick. However, assuming that they do not do that, I would say Raji is the pick. After trading Marcus Stroud last year, the Jaguars run defense suffered a little bit. Raji could help get that defense back.
9. Green Bay Packers -- Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
--The Packers would be absolutely ecstatic if Monroe falls to them. They have a big need on the line and Monroe is considered by some as the best tackle prospect.
10. San Francisco 49ers -- Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
--If nobody jumps up to the top ten to try and trade for Sanchez, I expect the 49ers to take him. Shaun Hill is not the answer at quarterback. The question is do the 49ers want to risk another pick on a top QB that will fail to develop?
11. Buffalo Bills -- Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State
--Maybin has the explosiveness off the outside that Bills really need. The biggest question with him right now is if he will be able to keep weight ON his body.
12. Denver Broncos -- Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
--The Broncos will definitely try to make a push to try and trade up to grab Sanchez. If they are unable to do so, it shouldn't hurt them much because they will be able to stockpile talent.
13. Washington Redskins -- Brian Cushing, LB, USC
--Yet another team who is interested in trying to move up for Mr. Sanchez. However, the Redskins have more glaring issues. Like trying to find a linebacker. Cushing has great size and strength and could immediately help out the defense.
14. New Orleans Saints -- Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
--The Saints need to load up on defense so the offense doesn't have to score 40 points for the team to win. The rumor is that they are looking at Jenkins' teammate, Beanie Wells. They would be smarter to go with a defensive player (especially in the secondary).
15. Houston Texans -- Clay Matthews, LB, USC
--Guess who works on the Texans' coaching staff? Clay's uncle, Bruce...you know the Hall of Fame offensive lineman. Did you get that one right? Houston would make a very smart move if they were able to draft Matthews at this spot!
16. San Diego Chargers -- Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
--They still have questions at running back, but I think they can pick someone up later in the draft. Maualuga would fill a hole right away and can become an instant playmaker.
17. New York Jets -- Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
--The Jets might have something up their sleeve. They haven't made a big splash in trying to go after a quarterback in the off-season. So they are either sold with what they have, will try to make a move up towards the front of the draft or stick here and draft Freeman.
18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears) -- Chris 'Beanie' Wells, RB, Ohio State
--With a new coach and GM in place, maybe it will FINALLY be time for Denver to select a running back in the first round and hopefully one that can stay healthy.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
--The Bucs want to start building from the interior out again. Jackson would be a solid choice here because of his build and strength.
20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas Cowboys) -- Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
--The Lions would be wise to grab Stafford number one for another reason. There are plenty of second tier tackles that will be available in this slot and Oher could contribute as a rookie.
21. Philadelphia Eagles -- Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
--Moreno would be a good compliment back to Brian Westbrook. Westbrook still manages to get dinged up time to time and having a back like Moreno could help Westbrook stay in more games.
22. Minnesota Vikings -- Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
--The Vikings should think long and hard about drafting Harvin. Not only would he be a deep threat, but it would cause defensive coordinators to think more on how to stop Harvin and Adrian Peterson.
23. New England Patriots -- James Laurinitis, LB, Ohio State
--The Patriots linebackers are getting old and they traded Mike Vrabel. I think Laurinitis just seems destined to be a Patriots player.
24. Atlanta Falcons -- Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
--The Falcons need to start building the middle of the defense again. Jerry would be an absolute fit with the team and could work his way into the rotation.
25. Miami Dolphins -- Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
--Davis is probably the best pure corner in the draft and would be an immediate upgrade at the position. The Dolphins could get a receiver in round two and Parcells loves to draft defense first.
26. Baltimore Ravens -- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
--This is the deep threat that the Ravens crave. Heyward-Bay has had a little trouble with the dropsies, but the potential is too great to pass up on.
27. Indianapolis Colts -- Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
--Unfortanetly for the Colts, most of the top defensive guys will be gone. Britt should be the favorite over Hakeem Nicks because of his speed and would be a weapon to the Colts.
28. Buffalo Bills (from Carolina through Philadelphia) -- Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
--The Bills basically traded Jason Peters for this pick, so they better take the best available lineman. Hopefully they got a DE with their first pick and it would allow them to take Britton here.
29. New York Giants -- Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina
--Unless they trade for Braylon Edwards, the Giants will be drafting a wide receiver. Nicks would be the best available left for them to take. Although, if Brandon Pettigrew was around, that would not shock me either.
30. Tennessee Titans -- Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
--The Titans biggest need is probably a wide receiver, but as we know, they don't believe in taking one in the first round. Smith can give them some time as a rookie and eventually be the replacement for Nick Harper.
31. Arizona Cardinals -- LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh
--I like the idea of the Cardinals taking McCoy over Donald Brown. I think McCoy can give them more than Brown can and will be a good future back.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Alex Mack, C, California
--The Steelers will focus on both sides of the line and it looks like Mack is the best center prospect. Mack can groom for one year until Justin Hartwig's contract runs up.
1. Detroit Lions -- Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
--I've stayed with this pick throughout everything. The Lions should make sure this is signed, sealed and delivered before Saturday.
2. St. Louis Rams -- Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
--The Rams clearly need help on the line and Smith has become the top offensive lineman on the board. This should be an easy selection for St. Louis.
3. Kansas City Chiefs -- Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
--Remember way back when I said the Chiefs would get Cassel? Well, go look...it is there somewhere. This spot now is where Curry should reside. The Chiefs have slowly improved their team over the winter and this should help them to keep improving!
4. Seattle Seahawks -- Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
--Another one that I have said should have happened from the beginning. Crabtree is going to be a flat out stud in this league and if the Seahawks pass up on him, they will regret it!
5. Cleveland Browns -- Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas
--The biggest need for the Browns is to find a rush end/outside linebacker. Orakpo would fit the bill perfectly and would be the start to trying to improve that defense.
6. Cincinnati Bengals -- Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
--The Bengals need people to protect for Carson Palmer. They don't have the smartest scouting staff in the world and it wouldn't surprise me if they grabbed big Andre.
7. Oakland Raiders -- Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
--Oakland needs playmakers badly. Jeremy Maclin would be the best option here. He has great speed and would be an instant deep threat for Al Davis and the Raiders.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars -- B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
--In some shape or form, I see the Jaguars trading out of this pick. However, assuming that they do not do that, I would say Raji is the pick. After trading Marcus Stroud last year, the Jaguars run defense suffered a little bit. Raji could help get that defense back.
9. Green Bay Packers -- Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
--The Packers would be absolutely ecstatic if Monroe falls to them. They have a big need on the line and Monroe is considered by some as the best tackle prospect.
10. San Francisco 49ers -- Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
--If nobody jumps up to the top ten to try and trade for Sanchez, I expect the 49ers to take him. Shaun Hill is not the answer at quarterback. The question is do the 49ers want to risk another pick on a top QB that will fail to develop?
11. Buffalo Bills -- Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State
--Maybin has the explosiveness off the outside that Bills really need. The biggest question with him right now is if he will be able to keep weight ON his body.
12. Denver Broncos -- Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
--The Broncos will definitely try to make a push to try and trade up to grab Sanchez. If they are unable to do so, it shouldn't hurt them much because they will be able to stockpile talent.
13. Washington Redskins -- Brian Cushing, LB, USC
--Yet another team who is interested in trying to move up for Mr. Sanchez. However, the Redskins have more glaring issues. Like trying to find a linebacker. Cushing has great size and strength and could immediately help out the defense.
14. New Orleans Saints -- Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
--The Saints need to load up on defense so the offense doesn't have to score 40 points for the team to win. The rumor is that they are looking at Jenkins' teammate, Beanie Wells. They would be smarter to go with a defensive player (especially in the secondary).
15. Houston Texans -- Clay Matthews, LB, USC
--Guess who works on the Texans' coaching staff? Clay's uncle, Bruce...you know the Hall of Fame offensive lineman. Did you get that one right? Houston would make a very smart move if they were able to draft Matthews at this spot!
16. San Diego Chargers -- Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
--They still have questions at running back, but I think they can pick someone up later in the draft. Maualuga would fill a hole right away and can become an instant playmaker.
17. New York Jets -- Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
--The Jets might have something up their sleeve. They haven't made a big splash in trying to go after a quarterback in the off-season. So they are either sold with what they have, will try to make a move up towards the front of the draft or stick here and draft Freeman.
18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears) -- Chris 'Beanie' Wells, RB, Ohio State
--With a new coach and GM in place, maybe it will FINALLY be time for Denver to select a running back in the first round and hopefully one that can stay healthy.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
--The Bucs want to start building from the interior out again. Jackson would be a solid choice here because of his build and strength.
20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas Cowboys) -- Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
--The Lions would be wise to grab Stafford number one for another reason. There are plenty of second tier tackles that will be available in this slot and Oher could contribute as a rookie.
21. Philadelphia Eagles -- Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
--Moreno would be a good compliment back to Brian Westbrook. Westbrook still manages to get dinged up time to time and having a back like Moreno could help Westbrook stay in more games.
22. Minnesota Vikings -- Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
--The Vikings should think long and hard about drafting Harvin. Not only would he be a deep threat, but it would cause defensive coordinators to think more on how to stop Harvin and Adrian Peterson.
23. New England Patriots -- James Laurinitis, LB, Ohio State
--The Patriots linebackers are getting old and they traded Mike Vrabel. I think Laurinitis just seems destined to be a Patriots player.
24. Atlanta Falcons -- Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
--The Falcons need to start building the middle of the defense again. Jerry would be an absolute fit with the team and could work his way into the rotation.
25. Miami Dolphins -- Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
--Davis is probably the best pure corner in the draft and would be an immediate upgrade at the position. The Dolphins could get a receiver in round two and Parcells loves to draft defense first.
26. Baltimore Ravens -- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
--This is the deep threat that the Ravens crave. Heyward-Bay has had a little trouble with the dropsies, but the potential is too great to pass up on.
27. Indianapolis Colts -- Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
--Unfortanetly for the Colts, most of the top defensive guys will be gone. Britt should be the favorite over Hakeem Nicks because of his speed and would be a weapon to the Colts.
28. Buffalo Bills (from Carolina through Philadelphia) -- Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
--The Bills basically traded Jason Peters for this pick, so they better take the best available lineman. Hopefully they got a DE with their first pick and it would allow them to take Britton here.
29. New York Giants -- Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina
--Unless they trade for Braylon Edwards, the Giants will be drafting a wide receiver. Nicks would be the best available left for them to take. Although, if Brandon Pettigrew was around, that would not shock me either.
30. Tennessee Titans -- Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
--The Titans biggest need is probably a wide receiver, but as we know, they don't believe in taking one in the first round. Smith can give them some time as a rookie and eventually be the replacement for Nick Harper.
31. Arizona Cardinals -- LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh
--I like the idea of the Cardinals taking McCoy over Donald Brown. I think McCoy can give them more than Brown can and will be a good future back.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Alex Mack, C, California
--The Steelers will focus on both sides of the line and it looks like Mack is the best center prospect. Mack can groom for one year until Justin Hartwig's contract runs up.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
America's Golden Girl?
I suppose this can classify as sports since gymnastics is in the Olympics...even though softball and baseball will not be, which is a whole different story. Anyways, if you haven't seen it, here it is! The now famous video of Shawn Johnson!
There it is. 'America's Golden Girl' at a bar. Good decision considering you have to be 21 to get in the bar. The Bar in question? Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar located in West Des Moines, IA. Nice choice there as well! Is this the image that Shawn really wants? What kind of message does this send to her fans? Hey, try to get a fake ID and go to the bar when you are 17 or just act sweet and innocent and they might let you in!!! PERFECT!
Maybe there are different rules for certain people. Maybe I am being too judgmental. But if you are one to criticize college athletes for drinking or Michael Phelps for doing his bong shots, then you should be in uproar about Shawn Johnson being in a bar which she was not old enough to attend!
There it is. 'America's Golden Girl' at a bar. Good decision considering you have to be 21 to get in the bar. The Bar in question? Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar located in West Des Moines, IA. Nice choice there as well! Is this the image that Shawn really wants? What kind of message does this send to her fans? Hey, try to get a fake ID and go to the bar when you are 17 or just act sweet and innocent and they might let you in!!! PERFECT!
Maybe there are different rules for certain people. Maybe I am being too judgmental. But if you are one to criticize college athletes for drinking or Michael Phelps for doing his bong shots, then you should be in uproar about Shawn Johnson being in a bar which she was not old enough to attend!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
R.I.P. Nick Adenhart
If you haven't heard the news yet, the Los Angeles Angels' rookie pitcher, Nick Adenhart died early this morning after being struck by a car late last night. Adenhart made his season debut yesterday against Oakland, firing six shutout innings against the A's. For the news story, click here.
Monday, April 6, 2009
I've awaken...time to post! MLB Preview!
Yeah, so I took a couple weeks off...no big deal. It's time for a new season and I am ready to add another year to 100...'101 years and counting'....but, I still "BELIEVE". So, let's get to it.
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
EAST winner: Tampa Bay Rays. They don't have the big names as the Yankees or Sox, but they have the players. They have speed. They have power. They have pitching. They have defense. They have it all. I worry about the Yankees lack of defense and pitching. I don't think the Red Sox line-up is that great. The Rays are still a young team and they will prove last year was not a fluke.
CENTRAL winner: Minnesota Twins. Look, anyone in this division can win it this year. Yes, even the Royals. You heard me correctly, the Royals. I think the Twins are the most balanced team in the division. With a front three of Liriano, Baker, and Slowey, the Twins have the best pitching to go with a good offense. This team is especially dangerous at home...just take a look at the home/road splits of their starters.
WEST winner: Los Angeles of Anaheim of Orange County Angels. Or the Halo's, whichever is easier. I really like the Oakland team, but their oldest starting pitcher is 25 and they might have lost Joey Devine for the year. The Angels still have enough offense and if they get Lackey and Santana back with no problems, they should win the division easily again.
WILD CARD: New York Yankees. With that team, they better make the playoffs. I don't think anyone has more pressure this year than the Yankees. They went out and spent money on CC, Burnett, and Texiera to build a winner. They have the A-Roid cloud over their head and the new park. This team needs to win now. There isn't much left in the tank for Jeter, Rivera, Matsui, Posada, or Damon.
MVP: Mark Teixera, 1B, New York Yankees. He will play up to that contract in his first year and he needs to carry the team until A-Rod comes back.
Under the radar MVP: Justin Morneau, 1B, Minnesota Twins. Some say that his power went down last year because he only hit 21 home runs. He still had 47 doubles and was second in the MVP voting. Oh, guess what? He also had LASIK eye surgery. Watch out AL Central pitching staff!
Player who will falter: If you think Dustin Pedroia (2B, Red Sox) is going to put up the same numbers as he did last year, you are crazy. Pedroia had a career year last year and I don't think he will repeat it. Look, he can hit, but he is not going to show the same type of power as he did.
Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays. This guy deserves to win one already. It's not his fault that the Blue Jays have to play in the East. The last four years, Halladay has been 12-4, 16-5, 16-7, and 20-11 (with a 2.78 ERA). He will win one, it's just a matter of time.
Cy Yuk: AJ Burnett, New York Yankees. Just watch and see. Injuries will take place at some point during the season.
Five position players that will breakout:
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
EAST winner: Tampa Bay Rays. They don't have the big names as the Yankees or Sox, but they have the players. They have speed. They have power. They have pitching. They have defense. They have it all. I worry about the Yankees lack of defense and pitching. I don't think the Red Sox line-up is that great. The Rays are still a young team and they will prove last year was not a fluke.
CENTRAL winner: Minnesota Twins. Look, anyone in this division can win it this year. Yes, even the Royals. You heard me correctly, the Royals. I think the Twins are the most balanced team in the division. With a front three of Liriano, Baker, and Slowey, the Twins have the best pitching to go with a good offense. This team is especially dangerous at home...just take a look at the home/road splits of their starters.
WEST winner: Los Angeles of Anaheim of Orange County Angels. Or the Halo's, whichever is easier. I really like the Oakland team, but their oldest starting pitcher is 25 and they might have lost Joey Devine for the year. The Angels still have enough offense and if they get Lackey and Santana back with no problems, they should win the division easily again.
WILD CARD: New York Yankees. With that team, they better make the playoffs. I don't think anyone has more pressure this year than the Yankees. They went out and spent money on CC, Burnett, and Texiera to build a winner. They have the A-Roid cloud over their head and the new park. This team needs to win now. There isn't much left in the tank for Jeter, Rivera, Matsui, Posada, or Damon.
MVP: Mark Teixera, 1B, New York Yankees. He will play up to that contract in his first year and he needs to carry the team until A-Rod comes back.
Under the radar MVP: Justin Morneau, 1B, Minnesota Twins. Some say that his power went down last year because he only hit 21 home runs. He still had 47 doubles and was second in the MVP voting. Oh, guess what? He also had LASIK eye surgery. Watch out AL Central pitching staff!
Player who will falter: If you think Dustin Pedroia (2B, Red Sox) is going to put up the same numbers as he did last year, you are crazy. Pedroia had a career year last year and I don't think he will repeat it. Look, he can hit, but he is not going to show the same type of power as he did.
Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays. This guy deserves to win one already. It's not his fault that the Blue Jays have to play in the East. The last four years, Halladay has been 12-4, 16-5, 16-7, and 20-11 (with a 2.78 ERA). He will win one, it's just a matter of time.
Cy Yuk: AJ Burnett, New York Yankees. Just watch and see. Injuries will take place at some point during the season.
Five position players that will breakout:
- Adam Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles....because he has the tools
- Kendry Morales, 1B, Los Angeles Angels....because he will be playing everyday
- Alexei Ramirez, SS, Chicago White Sox....because he has a 40/40 in his future
- Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Cleveland Indians....because the power is legit
- Alex Gordon, 3B, Kansas City Royals....because it is about time
Five pitchers that will breakout:
- Joakim Soria, RP, Kansas City Royals....because he will shut you down
- Kevin Slowey, SP, Minnesota Twins....because he is just scratching the surface
- David Price, SP, Tampa Bay Rays....because he is not staying in the minors all year
- Brett Anderson, SP, Oakland A's....because he is only 21 and might be the best in the rotation
- Rick Porcello, SP, Detroit Tigers...because he is that good
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
EAST WINNER: New York Mets. I think the Phillies have a great team, but that line-up is too much lefty oriented at the moment. Both teams have starting pitching issues, but the Mets FINALLY have established a bullpen with K-Rod and JJ Putz. It should be their division to lose. The Marlins probably have the best staff in the division and the Braves are team that you need to watch out for this year.
CENTRAL WINNER: Chicago Cubs. Nobody else in the Central has close to the team the Cubs have. They could win 100 games this year...which probably won't matter much because they will choke somehow in the playoffs...Everyone else seems to be up on the Cardinals, but I still don't see it. Yes, I am biased, but I think the Brewers have a better team. The Astros could even contend if they add a pitcher or two.
WEST WINNER: Los Angeles Dodgers. Manny being Manny. That is all you need. Okay, they also have a great team around him with Martin, Kemp, Loney, Hudson, Ethier, etc. The Giants have a great pitching staff, but might not be able to do much on offense. The Diamondbacks have a good team, but need to add a big bat and are still a little young.
WILD CARD: Philadelphia Phillies. They will be back in the playoffs because they still have a dominant top of the order and have Cole Hamels to lead the way. The rest of the rotation is worrisome, but they have the bats to help out with that.
MVP: Manny Ramirez, LF, Los Angeles Dodgers. The National League still doesn't know how to pitch to him. He obviously won't hit .400 like he did last year, but .325/35/130 are in his sights.
Under the radar MVP: Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida Marlins. If they are going to make a run this year, it is because of Ramirez. He could put up a 40/40 season and his RBI numbers will go up this year with him hitting in the three spot.
Player who will falter: Ryan Ludwick, OF, St. Louis Cardinals. Another guy who had a career year who I don't think can do it again. It could be bias, but I just want to see it again!
Cy Young: Johan Santana, New York Mets. With that bullpen in place, Johan could win 25+ games. I will go ahead and say 27-4 with a sub 2.75 ERA.
Cy Yuk: Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros. His numbers have been on the decline the past four years. That is a trend...
Five position players that will breakout:
- Andre Ethier, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers....because he has Manny in the lineup
- Stephen Drew, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks....because he has better tools than his brother
- Elijah Dukes, OF, Washington Nationals....because if they get him PT, he will rake
- Justin Upton, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks....because last year was an aberration
- Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds....because he didn't get the respect last year
Five pitchers that will breakout:
- Ricky Nolasco, SP, Florida Marlins....because he is the ace of a very underrated staff
- Chris Volsted, SP, Florida Marlins....because he could be the ace of this staff
- Jonathan Sanchez, SP, San Francisco Giants....because he now has the Big Unit to mentor him
- Sean Marshall, SP, Chicago Cubs....because he will stay in the rotation for a full year
- Yovani Gallardo, SP Milwaukee Brewers....because, when healthy, he is dominant
PLAYOFFS & WORLD SERIES:
AL Wild-Card Round: Rays over Twins, Yankees over Angels
NL Wild-Card Round: Cubs over Phillies, Mets over Dodgers
AL Divisional Series: Rays over Yankees
NL Divisional Series: Mets over Cubs
World Series: Rays over Mets (6 games)
Friday, March 20, 2009
My Bracket
I forgot to make my picks on here, so here is a snapshot of the only bracket I have in a pool. I have North Carolina winning it all, even though I do not feel 100% about that with Lawson's ankle. There are only three teams in my mind that can win it all. UNC, Louisville and Memphis. Pittsburgh and UConn....sorry, not your year...Duke is close, but not quite there. My biggest pick is UCLA in the final four...they have a very talented team that can make a run. The only worry I have is the game against Villanova that will be in Philadelphia.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Getting closer....
What another great night of college basketball. If you didn't stay up to watch the UCONN/Syracuse game, you missed a great one!
Teams are trying to play themselves out of the tournament, rather than into it. You can safely cross South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, New Mexico, and UNLV off your bubble teams.
Creighton and St. Mary's are improving each day that they DON'T play!
Two more elimination games tonight: Florida/Auburn loser is out and so will the Tulsa/UAB loser. Selection Sunday is almost here!!!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Bracketology
Down goes Kansas! A big upset to start Thursday morning following a great comeback by Texas Tech last night. The bubble popped for Providence, Arizona, Miami (FL), and Northwestern today. Arizona might get a chance to get back on it if more teams lose.
SEC Tourney Preview
At St. Pete Times Forum (Tampa, Fla.)
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 12
Game 1: E4 Kentucky vs. W5 Ole Miss, 1 p.m.
Game 2: W3 Mississippi State vs. E6 Georgia, 3:15 p.m.
Game 3: W4 Alabama vs. E5 Vanderbilt, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: E3 Florida vs. W6 Arkansas, 9:45 p.m.
SECOND ROUND
Friday, March 13
Game 5: W LSU vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 6: E2 South Carolina vs. Game 2 winner, 3:15 p.m.
Game 7: E1 Tennessee vs. Game 3 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Game 8: W2 Auburn vs. Game 4 winner, 9:45 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 14
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, ESPN2, 1 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, ESPN2, 3:15 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 15
Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 1 p.m.
Team to watch: None of them. They all looked ugly during the year. Tennessee is the most talented team, but they sure didn't prove it. It might have been a rugged schedule that wore them down. This conference was not even close to the caliber that it usually is.
Player to watch: Jodie Meeks. The scorer from Kentucky averaged 24.7 points per game and shot 40% from beyond the arc. Meeks broke the single game record for points in a game at Kentucky when he lit up Tennessee for 54 in mid January.
Upset watch: The team that has been very quietly sneaking up the conference the past couple of weeks is Vanderbilt. They have A.J. Ogilvey coming around and could put together some wins that would lead to a conference championship.
Tourney watch: Tennessee and LSU are the only teams from the SEC that are safe. Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn and Vanderbilt are all bubble teams. If any of these teams can go on a run, they will probably be dancing as well. Tennessee should win this tournament and become a tough out in the NCAA tournament.
Big 10 Tourney Preview
At Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 12
Game 1: No. 8 Minnesota vs. No. 9 Northwestern, noon
Game 2: No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 10 Iowa, ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 Indiana, ESPN2, 5 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, March 13
Game 4: No. 1 Michigan State vs. Game 1 winner, ESPN, noon
Game 5: No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Ohio State, ESPN, 2:30 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Illinois vs. Game 2 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 7: No. 3 Purdue vs. Game 3 winner, 9 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 14
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1:40 p.m.
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 4:05 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 15
Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 3:30 p.m.
Team to watch: Michigan State. The Spartans still have a chance to claim a number one seed. To do so, they must win the conference tourney. They already own the most victories over top 50 teams in the RPI (10) but have a big loss to Maryland and Northwestern as well.
Player to watch: Manny Harris. Michigan is one of many borderline teams in the Big 10 and Harris is the one that makes the Wolverines go. He averages 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game and if he is on, Michigan is a very difficult team to beat.
Upset watch: Northwestern. The Wildcats come into the tournament as the number nine seed with an outside hope of being an at-large team. To do so, they have to win a minimum ot two games. Northwestern is also the ONLY power conference school to NEVER reach the NCAA tournament.
Tourney watch: Michigan State, Purdue, Illinois are solidly in the tournament. Then it gets interesting. Ohio State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, and Northwestern are all bubble teams. Ohio State is probably the safest out of that group. None can afford to lose their first game because they are all fighting for the same spots. It should be a great tournament to watch (if you like low scoring games) and I still like Michigan State to capture the championship.
ACC Tourney Preview
At Georgia Dome (Atlanta)
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 12
Game 1: No. 8 Virginia Tech vs. No. 9 Miami, noon
Game 2: No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 Georgia Tech, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 7 Maryland vs. No. 10 NC State, ESPN2, 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 6 Boston College vs. No. 11 Virginia, 9:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, March 13
Game 5: No. 1 North Carolina vs. Game 1 winner, ESPN2, noon
Game 6: No. 4 Florida State vs. Game 2 winner, ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: No. 2 Wake Forest vs. Game 3 winner, ESPN2, 7 p.m.
Game 8: No. 3 Duke vs. Game 4 winner, ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 14
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, ESPN, 1:30 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, ESPN, 4 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 15
Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, ESPN, 1 p.m.
Team to watch: North Carolina. With a tournament championship, the Tar Heels would probably get the number one overall seed. North Carolina has the talent to become NCAA champions, but just haven't reached the mark the past couple of years. Anything less that that this year, probably would classify as a failure.
Player to watch: Jeff Teague. The silky shooting guard for Wake Forest averaged over 19 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds per game. Teague shot a stunning 46.9% from beyond the arc and is main player on a very young and talented team on the Demon Deacons.
Upset watch: Miami. The Hurricans have a very talented team, but had a big disapointment during the conference season when they lost seven of nine games. Their bubble hopes are dwindling and need a big run to get into the field of 65.
Tourney watch: North Carolina is a one seed, Duke and Wake Forest are two or three seeds. Clemson and Florida State are four/five seeds. Four teams remain on the bubble led by Boston College, with the others being Maryland, Virginia Tech, and Miami. Boston College should be in. The loser of VTech/Miami will be gone and Maryland needs a second round victory over Wake Forest to secure a spot. North Carolina has the easiest route and should end up winning this tournament.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Bracket time!
Another day...another update...with Cleveland State winning the Horizon League, things have changed a little bit!
SWAC Tourney Preview
At Fair Park Arena (Birmingham, Ala.)
QUARTERFINALS
Wednesday, March 11
Game 1: No. 2 Jackson State vs. No. 7 Texas Southern, 3:30 p.m.
Game 2: No. 1 Alabama State vs. No. 8 Alabama A&M, 9 p.m.
Thursday, March 12
Game 3: No. 3 Prairie View vs. No. 6 Mississippi Valley State, 3:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 4 Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. No. 5 Southern, 9 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 13
Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 14
Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, ESPNU, 9 p.m.
Team to watch: Alabama State. The Hornets won the conference regular season and look to wrap up the tourney title as well. They did have some close non-conference losses and could provide a scare to a number one seed if they come in overconfident.
Player to watch: Troy Jackson. The guard from Alcorn State led the league in points and steals per game. Jackson averaged 20 points and over two steals per game.
Upset watch: Jackson State. If anyone is going to knock off Alabama State, it will probably be the Tigers. The two teams split during the year and a championship game would bring some good drama to end the SWAC season.
Tourney watch: Whoever wins the conference championship will be in tournament and most likely will be a play-in game participant. I think Alabama State will have the upper hand and would win the play-in game before bowing out to a number one seed.
Pac 10 Tourney Preview
At Staples Center (Los Angeles)
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 11
Game 1: No. 8 Oregon State vs. No. 9 Stanford, 9 p.m.
Game 2: No. 7 Washington State vs. No. 10 Oregon, 11:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 12
Game 3: No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Arizona, 3 p.m.
Game 4: No. 1 Washington vs. Game 1 winner, 5:30 p.m.
Game 5: No. 3 California vs. No. 6 USC, 9 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 UCLA vs. Game 2 winner, 11:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 13
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9 p.m.
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 11:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 14
Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 6 p.m.
Team to watch: Washington. The Huskies struggled as a team early, but then caught fire during the middle of the season to win the conference outright and now they look to continue the success into the tournament and beyond.
Player to watch: James Harden. The sophomore from Arizona State has an NBA game. Harden became just the fifth person in NCAA in the last twelve years to average over 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Harden is a big part of the Sun Devils run and can lead them deep into March.
Upset watch: Washington State. The Cougars reeled off wins over UCLA, Arizona, and Arizona State before losing to their rival Washington. They can't get an at-large bid, but it is possible that they could make a run and capture a Pac-10 tourney title.
Tourney watch: Washington, UCLA, Arizona State, and California are in. The biggest question is Arizona. They need a victory over the Sun Devils to secure a spot in the tournament. I think UCLA has the easiest path and should become Pac-10 conference champs.
Mountain West Tourney Preview
At Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas)
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 11
Game 1: No. 8 Colorado State vs. No. 9 Air Force, 5 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 12
Game 2: No. 1 BYU vs. Game 1 winner, 3 p.m.
Game 3: No. 4 San Diego State vs. No. 5 UNLV, 5:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 2 Utah vs. No. 7 TCU, 9 p.m.
Game 5: No. 3 New Mexico vs. No. 6 Wyoming, 11:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 13
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 9 p.m.
Game 7: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 11:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 14
Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 7 p.m.
Team to watch: BYU. The Cougars are a very tough, battle tested team that will be a difficult match-up for anyone come tournament time. They took Arizona State and Wake Forest the distance during the season and had a three way split of the conference title .
Player to watch: Luke Nevill. If you like size, Nevill is your guy. The 7'2 center for Utah averaged 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks during conference play and was named player of the year and defensive player of the year becoming the first player to do so in Mountain West history.
Upset watch: UNLV. The conference is very top heavy and the Rebels are on the bubble. If UNLV manages to win a couple games, especially since they have the home court advantage, they will make a run to the NCAA tournament.
Tourney watch: BYU and Utah are locks. UNLV, New Mexico, and San Diego State are all bubble teams. The San Diego State/UNLV game is basically an elimination game. With the depth and overall talent, I expect BYU to get the championship and at least three teams from the Mountain West to go dancing.
C-USA Tourney Preview
At the FedExForum (Memphis, Tenn.)
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 11
Game 1: No. 7 Marshall vs. No. 10 Rice, 1 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 UCF vs. No. 11 Southern Miss, 3:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 8 Tulane vs. No. 9 East Carolina, 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 SMU, 9:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 12
Game 5: No. 2 Tulsa vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 6: No. 3 UAB vs. Game 2 winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 7: No. 1 Memphis vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m.
Game 8: No. 4 UTEP vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 13
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 6:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 14
Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 11:35 a.m.
Team to watch: Oh, I don't know...maybe the team that hasn't lost a conference game in 25 years, the Memphis Tigers. Okay, it hasn't been that long, but the last conference loss was March 2, 2005. Memphis is not as deep this year as last, but they still have great players and can put together another final four run.
Player to watch: Jermaine Taylor. The senior guard from Central Florida led the conference in scoring and ranks third nationally. Taylor was named first team all-conference and led the Knights in scoring every game but one this year.
Upset watch: UAB. The last team to beat Memphis in conference play. UAB is fighting for an at-large birth into the tournament and if they could knock off Memphis, that would easily get them into the field of 65.
Tourney watch: Memphis should roll through this tournament again. They have a chance to get a number one seed and once again prove their team is no fluke. UAB and Tulsa both have a chance to get into the dance and if one of them can make it to the conference championship, they could get a birth.
Big West Tourney Preview
At Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, Calif.)
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 11
Game 1: No. 5 UC Irvine vs. No. 8 UC Davis, 9 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 UC Riverside vs. No. 7 Cal State Fullerton, 11:30 p.m.
SECOND ROUND
Thursday, March 12
Game 3: No. 3 Pacific vs. lowest remaining seed, 9 p.m.
Game 4: No. 4 UC Santa Barbara vs. highest remaining seed, 11:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 13
Game 5: No. 1 Cal State Northridge vs. lowest remaining seed, 8:30 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Long Beach State vs. highest remaining seed, 11 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 14
Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, ESPN2, 11:59 p.m.
Team to watch: Pacific. The Tigers are usually the most consistent team in the conference. A few years ago they were the dominant team and look to regain that form. Always a dangerous team to play in the NCAA tournament, the Tigers have two first round victories in the last six years.
Player to watch: Josh Akognon. The 5'11 guard from Cal State Fullerton was conference player of the year and was ranked in the top ten nationally with a 23.5 scoring average per game. Akognon has a great stroke, leading the conference in three pointers and free throw percentage.
Upset watch: Cal State Fullerton. The reason is Akognon and junior forward Gerard Anderson. With these two players, the Titans can pull the upset on anyone and make a run at a conference tourney championship.
Tourney watch: The Big West will only the conference tourney champion into the field of 65. Cal State Northridge has the number seed, Pacific has the track record, but I think Long Beach State has enough in the tank to get through the tourney and advance.
Big 12 Tourney Preview
At Ford Center (Oklahoma City)
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 11
Game 1: No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Baylor, 12:30 p.m.
Game 2: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Colorado, 3 p.m.
Game 3: No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Iowa State, 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 6 Texas A&M vs. No. 11 Texas Tech, 9:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 12
Game 5: No. 1 Kansas vs. Game 1 winner, ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.
Game 6: No. 4 Kansas State vs. Game 2 winner, 3 p.m.
Game 7: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m.
Game 8: No. 3 Missouri vs. Game 4 winner, ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 13
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 14
Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, ESPN, 6 p.m.
Team to watch: Kansas. For a team that won a national championship the year before, the Jayhawks didn't get much love coming into the season. They lost all their players, they couldn't possibly do it again...oh wait...they could. Kansas shook off a couple of early losses out of conference and went on a strong run to end the season finishing with a 14-2 record in the Big 12.
Player to watch: You should know all of the big names, but how about Denis Clemente. If the name sounds familiar, that's because it is. Clemente is a second cousin of the late Roberto Clemente, the Hall of Famer from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente helped Kansas State to a 9-7 record in the conference and had a 44 point performance against Texas.
Upset watch: Texas A&M. The Aggies are the hottest team in the conference, winning six games in a row. They are a borderline lock for the NCAA tournament, but with a couple more victories they could improve their seed and become a dangerous team to face.
Tourney watch: Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M & Oklahoma State should all be in for sure. The team that needs to do the most is Kansas State. If they pull off a sem-final upset over Kansas, they will be dancing. However, with an easy road to the finals, I think Kansas will wrap up as conference champions and tourney champions and have outside chance at a number one seed in the NCAA tournament.
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